Just another WWII shooter! I think not. Call of Duty 3 is out ladies and gentleman, and it is one of the most impressive in the franchise’s history in many ways. Whether it is graphics, game play, or online play, this game has it all. Including a nice detailed story line following four different soldiers. This time around it’s a different development team, Treyarch, creating the game, meaning things will be different in both a good and a bad way. Thankfully, I found more good than bad. Call of Duty 3 lets you experience the Normandy Breakout campaign through the eyes of Canadian, Polish, British and American soldiers. The online department has improved, allowing an improved 24 online player capability making this game the one to play this holiday season.

Call of Duty 3 gives an awesome presentation, as with any other WWII themed game it gives that WWII ambiance to the game as a whole. From the moment you turn on your console and go into the menu, it’s really straight forward. It even has a market place menu incase there are any new downloads for the game. Once you go online, they have a very easy menu, where you can choose what game type you want with how many players. This is by far the deepest game in the franchise with its presentation.

The graphics in this game are by far some of the best on a next-gen console. There are a few differences between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions, but not too many. For example, the lighting is done better on the 360 version. While the PS3 version, has a slightly darker appearance, which does not give it that great real time look. However, it isn’t fair to fully blame the developer, as it was their first game for the PS3. Still, the graphics are awesome, the explosions have never been better, and crisp environments look amazing. There is a level where it’s raining and windy; the grass weaves back and forth, adding a cool little effect that separates this game from many others. The player models have great detail. You can actually see light in their eyes reflecting and their skin looks closer to realism than ever before. At times you’ll notice some of them look like they have plastic faces, but nothing big enough to ruin your gaming experience. When it’s in a cold environment you can see their breath, which was done in the last Call of Duty, but is still worth mentioning because of the next-gen feel it creates. Another detail I’ve noticed is when the sun shines, the light goes through the tree’s reflecting onto the field creating intricate shadows. Also, during the fog you can see the layers of it. Treyarch wanted to really show some graphical detail this time and it definitely shows up in the game. I still think it could have been improved a bit more, but its worthy to be mentioned among the likes of Lost Planet and Gears of War.

Sound in Call of Duty 3 as with previous installment live up to expectations, allowing the player to feel the intensity of the heat of battle, a necessity for any World War II game. Every mission has different battle situations, some you’ll be on a tank, in others you’ll be driving, or in another, you will be walking and killing any enemy in your path. The sound matches each level and situation perfectly. The World War II themed music adds a nice touch to the overall sound of the game. If you have Dolby 5.1 Surround sound hooked up to this bad boy, the experience is even better. The character voice acting is well done, especially in battle situations where you have to listen for them to tell you to advance. You need to work with your team particularly when you are playing on harder difficulties. I have to give Call of Duty 3 my highest rating when it comes to the sound, because it continues on with the franchises standard of excellence

Call of Duty 3’s game play continues to be great allowing 24 person multiplayer capabilities, along with unique online modes like the new War mode, which consists of you capturing different points of the map. The War mode can get intense depending on which level you are playing. Playing the smaller levels with 24 people will have you screaming from the intensity. We had a match with a full room and played on Mayenne, and I can honestly say that it was the fiercest online battles I’ve had in a long time. The last thing I remember comparable to this it playing some Halo 2 games while in a warthog. The mode has you and your team standing on top of the base, while the meter fills. As soon as the meter’s full, the base is yours and you must move on to the next one until you capture them all or time runs out declaring the victor the team that took the most territories. Another great addition to the online play this year, is the solider classes. You have seven different classes Rifleman, Light Assault, Heavy Assault, Medic, Scout, Support, Anti-Armor each one have their own specialty and leader board. The weapons have remained the same this time around as well. The pistol now easier to use and is actually more powerful and accurate than the previous games. Along with smoke grenades and bombs, this time around they’ve implemented mines that you can plant in the fields adding even more to this robust online game play that is comparable to Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas. .

The single player in Call of Duty 3 is longer and more detailed than the last game. You fight as four different nationalities to stop the Germans. Each level contains its own intense battle varying from vehicular to infantry combat. Throughout the game, you will encounter interactive parts where a German will try to kill you by jumping at you. All you need to do is follow the steps that appear on the screen. These occur a few times throughout the campaign and get annoying, but do not ruin your game play. The single player is superior to any other Call of Duty installment when it comes to length and detail.

For the Xbox 360 version, there are Achievements, which span the course of the game, such as beating the campaign on veteran difficulty or reaching different ranks online. The points are spread across the achievements really well varying respectively in difficulty. When it comes to replay value, the online achievements for ranks will definitely keep you interested in the multiplayer. Also considering, it is 24 online players capable, there are never times when you get bored. Overall Call of Duty 3 is definitely a fun game, whether it’s single player or multiplayer. In my opinion the game play is not as good as it was in Cod 2, but it still has its own bright spots. I think the graphics could have used a little more tweaking to make the game look better. This may be the last World War II game that Activision will publish before going to modern day combat, which has been rumored to happen. Nothing official is out yet, but enjoy Call of Duty 3 while you can, it’s a great game and a good buy. I highly recommend this title for all you doubters out there.